St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-23
COLLIDED IN MID OCEAN.
The Steamers Britannia and Celtic, of
the White Star Line, Come
Together in a Fog,
Considerable Damage Being Done the
Former---Several Steerage Pas
sengers Reported Drowned. {.
Sixteen Lives Lost by Foundering of the
Steamer Harkaway---The This
Ties Heroic Work.
Houtesdale, Pa, Surrounded by Fire..
Other Forest Fires---Various
Casnlties Briefly Covered.

NEW YORK, May 22.-On Thursday
morning, May 10, at 5:25 p. m, While
the weather was calm and the sea
smooth, the British steamer Celtic, of
the White Star line, from Liverpool,
came into collision with the British
steamer Britannica of the same line, from
New York for Liverpool, stricking her
on the port side aft. and doing consider
able damage. The Britannic's boats
were lowered and filled with women and
children from the cabin and steerage in
very orderly and expeditions manner.
1t is to their shame that several men
forced themselves into the boats.
Meanwhile an examination was made
and the damage aScertained, it being
found that the vessel was not likely to
founder. Such being the case, the boats
within hail were recalled and their oc-
cupants received on board. The others
had boarded the Celtic. A pad was
made and placed over the hole in the
Britannic'S side, and she was turned
about toward New ork, having arranged
with the Celtic to keep company. The
saddeSt and most deplorable result of
the accident is that several steerage
passengers. who were lounging about
aft at the time of the collision, were
killed and several others injured. Both
vessels were accompanied by the steam
ships MarengO and British Queen, and
arrived at the bar at o'clock this morn
ing. The above report is from the
purSer of the Britannia, who refused
any further information. Some of the
Steerage passengers from the Britannia
are stopping at the Miners Arms hotel,
2 Front street. Both steamer are
anchored off the bar, being detained by
fog. The Celtic'S bow is stove in, but
otherwise the vessel is not much dam
aged. The Britannic's compartment is
FULL OF WATER.
About sixty passengers remain on
board the Celtic. the rest having come
up to the city. The captain, officers and
passengers of the Britannia desire very
cordially to thank the captains and Of
ficers of the Marengo and British Queen
for having 50 kindly consented to stay
by the ship. The steamboat
William Fletcher started from quaran-
tine at 2:30 p. m. to go down to the
bar to take off the remaining passengers
on the Celtic, but, on reaching the west
bank, owing to dense fog and a heavy
sea, it was deemed more prudent to re-
turn and wait till the fog cleared, as
there would be great danger attending
the transfer of the Celtic's passengers
to the Fletcher's deck. 1t was during
dense fog that the collision occurred.
The Celtic struck the Britannia bow on,
hitting her abaft the miZZen mast at No.
hatch. The Celtic had perceived the
danger. reversed her engines and struck
the Britannia glancing blow, when the
latter commenced to fill rapidly. The
life-boatS were Immediately launched,
and the work of transferring the pas
sengers to the boats began. .All the
women and children were first taken
into the boats. Several of the male
steerage passengers jumped into the
boats as they were leaving the ships
admirably. The steamboat William
Fletcher later succeeded in reaching the
Celtic at the bar, and transferred the
latterS remaining passengers to her
deck. She will reach her dock in this
city about S:45 p. III. One report says a
man and three women were killed, while
another says the victims were one wo-
man and child. aged 13, and five men.
Among the Celtic's passengers was C.
p. Huntington, the railroad magnate.
Fay Templeton, the actress, was also
said to be among the Celtic's passen-
gers.
THERE WAS GREAT EXCITEMENT
everywhere. The crew were as badly
frightened as any of the passengers and
under very little control of their Su-
periors. Several women were on the
point of jumping into the boats after they
had reached the water, when they were
held back. There was no sea on at the
time, but the ground swell was heavy
and a jump would have resulted in
pitching them into the water, as
the boats were both bilging
up and down at great rate.
Eight or ten people were injured
by the iron work as it fell, or by the
wood work as it was crushed in. Four
of these were too dangerously injured
arrived outside the bar to-day, and were
brought on the Fletcher to st. Vincent's S
hospital. These were George Robinson,
Patrick Burke. aged n, of WilkeSbarre,
Pa, who was taking his wife on a visit
to Ireland; William Lawler, aged 65,
who was on his way from st. Louis to
Ireland, and woman named Rose
Kelly. Burke had his ribs fractured
and suffered internal injuries. LAWYERS
hip was dislocated and his ribs frac-
tured, and is suffering from the shock.
NEST lIltll UIc Ill tlllICdl
Rose Kelly was injured about the back
and legs. The Steerage passengers
state that
THE KNOWN KILLED
include three men, woman and girl,
but they added the belief that two or
three others. whom they had not seen
since the collision. might be among the
dead and thrown overheard. All the
bodies, it is stated. were thrown over
board during the night after the coils
ion. G. Z. Huntington, who was among
the passengers. had closed mp his
house for the summer, and was on
his way to Europe. Il didn't go there
after ALL" said he. laughingly, to a re-
porter this afternoon. He was looking
Strong and well and said"The bow spirit
of the Celtic came right Oh board the
Britannia, cut through nearly the mid
die of our ship and probably would have
gone quite to the middle but for the
fact that we were going somewhat
rapidly and tore the Celtic's side almost
to the water. The bulwarks were cut
right off for fifty feet. The Celtic
tore her way right along. To my GER
tain knowledge there were four people
killed. One was a girl about II OF IA
years old and there were three others,
two men think and one a boy, but |
would not be certain about that. The
eldest man'Swife was on board. Sever
al others were injured. DR.. McLaugh-
LIN, the ships surgeon, remained cool
oIad nOllpptpd and aftaD6ad IN tboca